Where to Eat Vegan in New York When You're Dining With Non-Vegans

Vegans and meat-lovers will unite over NYC's epic eats.

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There's a myth that eating vegan at restaurants is hard, especially when you're with a group of people who aren't vegan. Nowadays, restaurants in most cities, and even smaller towns, have vegan options on the menu. New York City is no exception.

Being the metropolitan city that it is, of course The Big Apple has plenty of scrumptious vegan options, even at restaurants that serve animal products. I spent an entire weekend there eating with mainly non-vegan company, and it wasn't hard at all. This is your guide to eating vegan in New York, even if your fellow diners aren't down.

Le Pain Quotidien is a bakery and restaurant that feels like it could be on the Champes-Élysées in Paris. The menu boasts a long list of vegan and non-vegan options that are suitable for any kind of diet.

Smorgasburg is an open-air food market in Williamsburg, and serves everything from the trendy ramen burger, to fresh-pressed juice in a dragon fruit, to seitan BBQ sliders. The market has something to offer for every kind of eater, including the vegan foodie, and the picky meat-and-potatoes person. Scroll through their Instagram for some serious food porn.

Vaquero's

Allie Fenwick

The first food I tried at Smorgasburg was mango with chili powder and chamoy–a savory sauce made from pickled fruit. Inspired by Mexican street food, the freshness of the mango and the tanginess of the topping was really refreshing.

Monk's Meat is a Brooklyn-based 100% vegan butcher shop serving a variety of meatless sandwiches, and more. I chose the BBQ seitan slider, but they also had bulgogi and jerk-style sandwiches. For dessert, they were serving up epic little fry pies dusted in cinnamon sugar.

Otto Enoteca Pizzeria is the perfect place to go for a nice dinner when you're dining with omnivores. The menu features classic Italian dishes like cured meat and pepperoni pizza, but nearly all the salads and appetizers happen to be vegan.

Best of all, there are three pizzas that are vegan on the menu. It may seem boring, but the high quality sauce, hot chilies, and sweet roasted garlic make up for the cheese.

Candle 79 is a creative high-end vegan restaurant that markets itself as organic and sustainable. Everything from appetizers to dessert was on point, especially the Mexican chocolate brownie, which was oozing warm chocolate sauce.

Famous for their avocado toast, The Butcher's Daughter is an adorable vegetarian restaurant that cooks up toast soldiers and eggs, as well as bagels with tofu cream cheese. Part of this restaurant's charm is the decor, which looks like it came off the first page of Pinterest.

Chelsea market is where you want to be if you're looking to please a variety of palates. This urban food court offers so many options that you could spend hours roaming through it; just be prepared to stand at a high table or take your food somewhere else–the place is packed.

Beyond Sushi was the perfect meal to end off my trip, not just because it tasted amazing, but I could choose anything I want off the menu as it is 100% vegan. I shared the verde salad and spicy mang sushi roll, both of which were perfectly seasoned.

NYC has an endless list of versatile eateries that are hip and tasty. Whether you're dining with a whole group of vegans, or you're a lone wolf amongst a pack of meat-lovers, these restaurants are essential to eating vegan in NYC.